Maine's Angus King to Caucus With Senate Democrats

Maine's newly elected Independent senator-elect, Angus King, announced today that he'll caucus with the Democrats in the Senate, boosting the party's control to 55 seats, compared with 45 held by Republicans in the new Congress.

"I have decided to affiliate with the Democratic Caucus because doing so will allow me to take independent positions on issues as they arise and at the same time be an effective representative of the people of Maine," King announced in Congress this morning.

King noted that the decision was "relatively easy" after the Democrats' victories on Election Day.

"In the situation where one party has a clear majority and effectiveness is an important criteria, affiliating with the majority makes the most sense," King said. "The majority has more committee slots to fill, has more control over what bills get considered, and more control over the Senate schedule."